Tulsa Wind Tower Manufacturer Closing Amid Industry Uncertainty

  • Joe Wertz

The DMI Industries wind tower factory in Tulsa is closing in November, and 167 people are expected to lose their jobs.

Parent company Otter Tail is planning to sell the DMI subsidiary to an undisclosed buyer for $20 million, reports The Oklahoman‘s Paul Monies, who notes the company has received $1.75 million in rebates from Oklahoma’s Quality Jobs incentive since 2009.

The company’s reason for closing, according to the paper: Wind energy has a hard time competing with low-priced natural gas, “the lack of a national energy policy,” and the Dec. 31 expiration of a federal wind production tax credit.

The federal wind energy tax credit has become an election-year political football, Monies reports:

Last week, the campaign of presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the former Massachusetts governor opposed extending the wind production tax credit.

President Barack Obama said he wants to keep the incentive.